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Stevia as sugar substitute???
 
 
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Roly
Root Beer Fan
Root Beer Fan


Joined: Jun 18, 2004
Posts: 9
Location: New Zealand

PostPosted: Fri Feb 04, 2005 8:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

G'day Mtoolmn, I think it was you who posted a reply on my thread - Sassafras in New Zealand. Still having no luck in getting the real stuff. When I was in SC I drank some home brew sassafras Root Beer. Wow ! So now you see why i'm trying to get hold of it.
On the subject of Stevia, I use it currently here as a sweetener and like it. If you use too much, it has a slight licorice-like after taste. Mind you, if you like licorice that's ok.
I have a Root Beer recipe here which you can try, but I can't ! It is from a book called "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon. She apparently was instrumental in the creation of "The Weston Price Foundation". Here is her recipe for Root Beer -
(Makes 1/2 Gallon).

3 or 4 cups of sassarfas root shavings,
1/4 cup of whey,
1 teaspoon Sea Salt,
1/2 cup of Rapadura,
1/4 cup of molasses,
1/2 cup of fresh lime juice,
1/2 teaspoon of coriander seeds; crushed,
1/4 teaspoon of ground Allspice,
Filtered Water.

Bring Sassafras shavings to the boil in a pan with 4 cups of water and then simmer for about 2 hours.
Strain off remaining liquid concentrate. You should have approx one cup. Let cool and combine with other ingredients in a glass container adding enough filtered water to make 2 quarts. Cover tightly and leave at room temterature for 2 days. Transfer to refrigerator and leave for several weeks before serving.
Now my idea was to use only the minimum amount of Rapadura required for the process and make up the "sweetening" content with Stevia. I am using liquid stevia concentrate here and 2 to 3 drops is all that's required to sweeten a cup of whatever.
I had also thought of adding a little brewer's yeast
to "use up" the Rapadura and then sweeten to taste with the stevia.
I would dearly to get hold of some real sassafras concentrate.
See how you go
Bottoms Up ! - Roly - New Zealand
  
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aruzinsky
Root Beer Connoisseur
Root Beer Connoisseur


Joined: Oct 13, 2004
Posts: 161
Location: IL, USA

PostPosted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 1:20 pm    Post subject: Re: Stevia as sugar substitute??? Reply with quote

I doubt that stevia will support yeast fermentation. As for taste, I have only tried Now brand stevia. I don't like it because its taste persists in my mouth for a long time.
  
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aruzinsky






PostPosted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 1:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Roly wrote:


I would dearly to get hold of some real sassafras concentrate.

Bottoms Up ! - Roly - New Zealand
Do you see any problem with me mailing you a tiny vial of sassafras oil in a first class envelope? (Use 1 drop per two gallons water.)
  
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aruzinsky






PostPosted: Sun Feb 06, 2005 1:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Roly, my plan is to send it to you in a small glass vial because I have some. These vials previously contained Oetker flavorings and I would put one in an envelope lined with bubble wrap. This would weigh less than one ounce. There would be no charge. If customs confiscates it, small loss. I will send another. You can email me at aruzinsky@general-cathexis.com .
  
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dmckean44
Root Beer Fan
Root Beer Fan


Joined: Aug 15, 2005
Posts: 11
Location: San Diego, CA

PostPosted: Mon Aug 15, 2005 10:10 pm    Post subject: Re: Stevia as sugar substitute??? Reply with quote

mtoolmn wrote:
Has anyone tried "Stevia" as a sub for standard sweetners in homemade root beer?? If so...... I'd be interested in the recipe you've tried.

Yeh-yeh........... I know the FDA bans calling Stevia a "sweetner" and demands that it be called a "food supplement", but all that goes to show is how good the sugar and corn lobbies are!! The rest of the world uses it!

Certainly would be interesting to make a "diet" root beer homemade!!


Your best bet would be add stevia leaves to the 'root beer tea' and lacto ferment the root beer fully until all the sugar is gone from the brew and then bottling as normal. It probably wouldn't end up super sweet though. It's actually a good idea and I think I'll try it on my next batch.
  
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dmckean44






PostPosted: Sun Oct 09, 2005 10:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've experimented using stevia somewhat and it's best you you ferment the sugar with about half the water until most of the sugar is fermented out. Then brew your roobeer tea with a lot of stevia herb in it and mix the tea with the sugar solution and add any other flavorings (vanilla, anise, etc...) and bottle immediately. Then refriderate it after a couple days and enjoy.

It tooks some experimenting, my first two batches doing it the normal way failed. In my sugar solution I used a few tablespoons of barely malt extract to get a good active fermentation going. I thought about using blackstrap molasses for this but I didn't want to impart a strong flavor.

I used whey from plain commercial yohurt as my lactic acid starter. I wouldn't use yeast for this unless you want it alcoholic. Maybe one of those beligian ale sour starters I see in home brew stores would work, but I haven't tried it.
  
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